[Skimmertalk] Fwd: Fwd: Re: aggregator sunrise/sunset?

Bob Wilson, N6TV n6tv at arrl.net
Fri Feb 24 01:07:04 EST 2017 

I don't like it when a program makes changes to a file that I've carefully
hand-edited, changing its "last-modified" date.  It makes me think I have a
virus.

Suggestion: add an option to start RTTY Skimmer first, using its default
.ini file, *then* issue the command to restart RTTY Skimmer with a
different .ini file, as  determined by rotation, and then finally (and
*optionally*), start CW Skimmer.

With my limited CPU power, during RTTY contests, I only want Aggregator to
start RTTY Skimmer, but I have not figured out how to make it do that for
me.  I always start RTTY Skimmer manually, then start Aggregator, then stop
CWSkimmer.  It gets ugly when the rotation picks CW and RTTY .ini files
that don't match.

73,
Bob, N6TV


On Feb 23, 2017 8:14 PM, "W3OA" <w3oa at roadrunner.com> wrote:

Just to clear things up, Agg updates the sunrise/sunset times when it
connects to the primary Skimmer, not the RBN server.  (My thought there was
the user might have changed his grid square.) If ini rotation is in use,
that will be a minimum of twice a day. If rotation is not in use we don't
care about the sunrise/sunset times.

I've looked into why Agg handles rotation of CW and RTTY SkimServs
differently.  It traces back to the difference in how Agg can tell the
SkimServs to use a specific .ini file:

    CW SkimServ - there is a command line parameter that can specify which
ini to start with.

    RTTY SkimServ - always starts with the same ini file.  You can tell it
to switch to a different ini file after starting via a telnet command.

The only way I can see to get RTTY SkimServ to start with a new set of ini
parameters is to shut it down, modify the RttySkimServ.ini file, and
restart.  I didn't want to do this because I wanted to avoid changing a
user's files if possible. But I did have to resort to this when I
implemented rotation with both Servers running off the tee and RTTY
SkimServ following CW SkimServ.

The case under consideration now involves Agg rotating ini files for RTTY
SkimServ that is Agg's primary Skimmer.   The current Agg uses the telnet
command to tell RTTY SkimServ to use a different .ini file.  I haven't
heard of any problems when doing this with a QS1R.  It works when RTTY
SkimServ connects directly to the QS1R or via the Tee.  But Dave reports
that when using either the Hermes or Red Pitaya and the Tee Agg's attempts
to change RTTY SkimServ's ini file causes the Skimmer to loose data.  He
asks that this be fixed by stopping SkimServ, modifying the
RttySkimServ.ini file, and restarting the server.  This can be a check box
option or done all the time.

So my question to you users is: "Do you see a disadvantage in changing
Aggregator so it changes your RttySkimServ.ini file during the .ini
rotations?"  If no one cares I'll proceed that way.

73 - Dick, W3OA


On 2/23/2017 7:32 AM, David Robbins wrote:

> Yes, it is the rtty skimmer server that had the old sunrise/set times.  If
> you only update on connecting to the server that would explain it as mine
> normally runs for a month or more at a time before I have to do anything
> with it like install updates or such.  It would probably make more sense to
> calculate the sunrise/set times every time you switch ini files instead of
> when you connect to the server.  the calculations should be relatively
> quick
> so doing it 2 or maybe 4 times a day won't cost much anyway and would keep
> the times in sync with changing seasons better.
>
> The rtty skimmer server detects a change in the ini file date/time and
> reloads it without stopping, though it does have to reinitialize so I don't
> really see any advantage in that except it lets you edit the file from a
> button on it's gui without closing the program.
>
> David Robbins K1TTT
> e-mail:mailto:k1ttt at arrl.net
> web:http://wiki.k1ttt.net
> AR-Cluster node: 145.69MHz ortelnet://k1ttt.net:7373
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Skimmertalk [mailto:skimmertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of
> W3OA
> Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2017 04:08
> To:skimmertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: [Skimmertalk] Fwd: Fwd: Re: aggregator sunrise/sunset?
>
> Here's what I think is happening:
>
> Aggregator calculates sunrise and sunset times every time it connects to
> its
> primary skimmer.  This works fine when the primary skimmer is CW Skimmer or
> CW Skimserv because Aggregator disconnects from  and reconnects to the
> primary skimmer every time Aggregator rotates the ini file.
>
> As I recall from Dave's previous posts, one of his Aggregators uses an
> instance of RTTY SkimServ for it's primary skimmer. (Dave, is this
> correct?) In that case, Aggregator does not disconnect from and reconnect
> to
> the primary skimmer when rotating .ini files.  Instead, it sends a
> SKIMMER/RESTART telnet command to force using the new .ini parameters.  In
> this configuration Aggregator could run for a long time without updating
> the
> sunrise and sunset times.  Not a good thing.  I need to fix it.
>
> Dave previously asked me to change this so that on ini rotations Aggregator
> will treat RTTY Skimserv as it does CW Skimserv.  This would fix the
> current
> sunrise sunset problem.  But I have not made the change yet.  My comments
> in
> the code say I had to treat RTTY Skimmer differently but don't say why, and
> I can't remember. Could well be this was a misunderstanding on my part.  I
> need to spend some more time trying to figure this out.
>
> 73 - Dick, W3OA
>
>
>
> -------- Forwarded Message --------
> Subject:        Re: [Skimmertalk] aggregator sunrise/sunset?
> Date:   Wed, 22 Feb 2017 20:17:49 +0000
> From:   David Robbins<k1ttt at verizon.net>
> Reply-To:       k1ttt at arrl.net
> Organization:   k1ttt
> To:     'SkimmerTalk Reflector'<skimmertalk at contesting.com>
>
>
>
> Grid is displayed in upper case so that is ok.  both machines set to utc.
>
>
> I closed the wrong one and reopened it then it now it displays the correct
> times.  I am wondering if the aggregator only calculates the sunrise/set
> once a week or something like that?  this time of year the difference could
> be several minutes a day.
>
>
>
> David Robbins K1TTT
> e-mail:mailto:k1ttt at arrl.net
> web:http://wiki.k1ttt.net   <http://wiki.k1ttt.net/>  AR-Cluster node:
> 145.69MHz ortelnet://k1ttt.net:7373
>
>
>
> From:rawilson at gmail.com   [mailto:rawilson at gmail.com] On Behalf Of Bob
> Wilson, N6TV
> Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 20:05
> To: SkimmerTalk Reflector
> Cc: Dave Robbins, K1TTT
> Subject: Re: [Skimmertalk] aggregator sunrise/sunset?
>
>
> Did you check the Windows Time Zone setting?
>
>
> Also, does it display in uppercase as FN32LL or FN32II (eye and el look the
> same in lower case in many fonts).
>
>
>
>
> 73,
>
> Bob, N6TV
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 22, 2017 at 4:10 AM, David Robbins<k1ttt at verizon.net>   wrote:
>
> I have 2 computers running skimmers, one has the correct sunrise/sunset
> times  1140z/2234z, the other is wrong showing 1206z/2208z.  both show grid
> as fn32ll, both clocks are showing the same date/time.  just happened to
> notice because when I just checked one was still on the night ini file and
> the other was on the day one.  what inputs could be different, or is one of
> them just not updating the calculation for some reason???
>
>
>
> David Robbins K1TTT
> e-mail:<mailto:k1ttt at arrl.net>   mailto:k1ttt at arrl.net
> web:<http://wiki.k1ttt.net/>   http://wiki.k1ttt.net  AR-Cluster node:
> 145.69MHz or<telnet://k1ttt.net:7373>
> telnet://k1ttt.net:7373
>
>
>
>
>
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